


Postbellum

by Schmidt1012



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Supernatural
Genre: 5+1 Things, Action/Adventure, Benny Lafitte & Dean Winchester Friendship, Blood and Violence, Dwemer Museum, Dwemer Ruins, Gen, Giant Spiders, Imperial!Dean, M/M, Non-Explicit Blood Drinking, Non-Explicit Handjobs, Post-Civil War (Skyrim), Skyrim - Freeform, Skyrim Miscellaneous Quest, Vampire Benny Lafitte, alternate universe - skyrim, dragon slaying, ex-Stormcloak!Benny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-15 13:40:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16064282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schmidt1012/pseuds/Schmidt1012
Summary: Dean and Benny traveling across Skyrim to visit museums.Or...5 times Dean and Benny talked about museums and 1 time they didn't.





	1. Markarth: Dwemer Museum

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Skyrim (crossover) fic and would probably not my last. (I still need to finish my other WIP, lol). I want these characters to explore the Skyrim world because this world offers something that the Supernatural world doesn't have (it'll be revealed on the 5th chapter).
> 
> The tags said this story is post-civil war, but I will never mention or give hints about who won the war because of reasons (I'm planning something big in this AU but my WIPs are staring at me).
> 
> \---
> 
> Mistakes are all mine, and comments are highly appreciated. (If you see something wrong, please tell me so I could fix it.) :)

A sigh of relief escaped Benny’s mouth when he and Dean finally entered the _Understone Keep_ , its cool interior providing a shade to ward off the scorching sun. Even with all his layers, his muscles – especially his skin – throbbed after walking too long under direct sunlight. With the heat outside, the thing that should be protecting him would be the death of him, roasting him _alive_.

Vampires like him shouldn’t travel this time of the day.

After discovering that there’s a museum dedicated to the Dwarven history, Dean had dragged Benny with him and had been traveling nonstop over the past three days. Benny didn’t complain though. He couldn’t even if he wanted to. Whenever Dean had made up his mind to do something, even the stupidest thing – like killing a dragon, no one could stop the man. Yes, that was Benny’s excuse to not speak his mind out that day, because the real reason would die with him – Dean looking at him through his eyelashes, all excited and happy.

“This better be worth our while,” Benny said as he took off his ebony helmet. Flashing Dean his canines, he joked. “Those stairs shouldn’t be underestimated.”

With an apologetic look, Dean patted Benny on the arm, knowing all too well that it wasn’t the stairs but the sun that weighed him down, before drinking the sight of the marvelous keep.

 _Mighty Talos_. Benny said under his breath as his eyes wandered around the Dwarven structure. He couldn’t believe that something this big was built… no, it was _carved into a mountain_. He and Dean had been to different Dwemer ruins before but this place was different. Well, the only difference was the people being alive while the machines were unmoving, but still, the keep was no ruin. It’s perfectly preserved.

“You two,” An Altmer said. There’s no heat or a hint of annoyance with those words, something new to Benny’s experience with the High Elves, but the heavy, metal door shutting behind them with a loud thud made him sound all highly. “What’s your business here?”

Judging by the robe the High Elf was wearing, Benny assumed he was the Court Wizard. A little young, sure, but maybe some High Elves were just that talented.

“Are you Calcelmo, the court wizard?” Just like sharing a mind, Dean asked on behalf of Benny with his chest puffed out a little, trying to look bigger and respectable.

“No, I’m Aicantar, Calcelmo’s nephew. Why do you seek my uncle?”

“We heard the news he owns the Dwemer Museum, maybe we could see --”

“It’s a private place.” Aincantar cut Dean off. “My uncle’s lifelong researches are all there. I’m afraid, persuading him to let you in is impossible.”

“Look,” Benny started as he put a reassuring hand on Dean’s back. Tucking his helmet safely in his arm, he stepped forward and continued. “Tell us where we can meet him and we will do the talking. We have come a long way to see the collections, and we’re not leaving empty-handed.”

After releasing a long sigh, Aicantar nodded. “Very well,” Turning his body towards the west side of the castle, Aicantar made a gesture with his hand, coaxing Dean and Benny to follow, and started walking. Over his shoulder, Aicantar said. “But I must inform you, he’s a busy man. I will call it a miracle if he stops working to pay the two of you attention.”

With that, Dean and Benny followed wordlessly, both determined to get inside the museum.

“I have things to study, Aicantar, what is it?” The old Altmer, Calcelmo, said irritably while working on the _Arcane Enchanter_.

“Uncle Calcelmo, these two _tourists_ came here to see the Dwemer Museum.”

“Is that so?” Stopping from him work, which earned a surprised look from his nephew, Calcelmo turned around and put his hand on his waist. “Are you two adventurers?” Too smart – or impatient – to wait for Dean and Benny's answer, he continued. "I'll let you in if you agree to do something for me. There's a giant spider in _Nchuand-Zel_. My workers call her _Nimhe_ , the poisoned one. If you deal with Nimhe, I’ll let you into both the excavation site and my Dwemer Museum. What do you say?”

“Deal.” Dean agreed without a beat. He extended his hand, hoping to seal it with a handshake, but Calcelmo simply ignored it and returned to his work. “ _Rude_.”

Benny butted Dean’s shoulder with his after mumbling that but the wizard seemed unaware of the remark. Aicantar, on the other hand, heard it and simply gave the two of them a tight smile before escorting them towards the excavation site where there seemed to be a steady stream of water under the bridge – maybe coming from a small fall, judging by the crashing sound of water nearby.

Inside of Nchuand-Zel Excavation Site, Dean and Benny walked side by side while examining the spacious hall, big debris and pillars blocking most of the path with sunbeams seeping in the ceiling. The place looked like it would fall any second with all the digging that had happened, but the strong remaining pillars and huge pipes said otherwise. It’s no different than the last Dwemer ruin they visited, only there were things that were obviously didn’t belong there, like the recently used cups and lantern.

“Say,” Benny started while picking up a piece of Dwemer plate metal. _Finders, keepers_ , right? It’s his now, something that could buy them a nice room later. “What made you so fascinated by the Dwemers, chief?”

“Aren’t you?” Dean countered, his fingers tracing the engravings on the wall. “The Dwemers just mysteriously disappear, for _Talos_ ’s sake, Benny. Leaving all these automated machines behind. Their technology is beyond --”

A screech resonated somewhere deeper in the dungeon, piercing the sound of hissing air vents and cutting Dean off.

Without a word, both men drew their weapon, Dean with his old Imperial sword while Benny with his new Orcish mace, a spoil of their recent fight before reaching Markarth. Hanging on Dean’s belt, his second sword made of ebony was thirsty for blood. Benny had given it to him as a gift last _Morning Star_ , but Dean hadn’t used it ever since and preferred his other sword, claiming that its presence was enough protection to him – like his father’s blade, hidden somewhere in his body.

Carefully, they trod the second corridor to the left with practiced stealth until they stumbled upon an earthen path, leading them deeper underground. With a silent agreement, Dean took point while Benny stalked behind him to watch the rear. Their position had always been like that since they started _adventuring_ together, Dean leading the way while Benny watching his back.

The trust Dean had given to Benny was absolute. Even now that Benny was a vampire and could easily snap Dean’s neck from behind, either from hunger or just random vampire _impulse_ , Dean’s faith with Benny didn’t change. In fact, Dean felt safer – his words, not Benny’s – knowing Benny could back him up even in the direst situation with his speed and strength, a sort of blessing Benny didn’t know his curse have until Dean had pointed it out. And just thinking about how Dean had said it one night was enough to make Benny’s undead heart skip a beat.

“Hey, _skeever butt_ , stop smiling and focus.” Dean teased over his shoulder.

Benny just grunted in response. Even with his helmet covering his face, Dean could see right through him. And he swore to _Talos_ that he’s not smiling. Unfocused, maybe, but he’s not smiling, just his fang itching to find freedom from his gums.

After reaching the lower level, a silhouette of a spider came into sight, waiting for its next prey, and it only took Benny a millisecond to figure that it’s not what they came for. _Too small_. Benny thought. _Probably just a common frostbite spider._

Even though there’s nothing to worry about, Benny cautiously watched Dean stalk and ambush the poor spider from a safe distance. With one fluid motion, Dean slashed the thing in half, his sword cutting it like butter, and blocked the second spider pouncing towards him that came out of nowhere. Quick on his feet, Benny closed their distance, mace already swinging mid-air, and crushed it on the ground with a satisfying crunch.

Benny heard Dean clicked his tongue, aware that Benny put a little too much oomph into his swing. Benny wouldn’t deny it though. The creature deserved it though, a quick death after attempting to sneak onto --

"We got more company," Dean said while giving Benny’s shoulder a quick, firm squeeze.

Above them, three spiders were descending with their webs while there’s four crawling on the wall. And if Benny was right about the _things_ that were glowing on the ceiling, then he and Dean were in great trouble. They couldn’t fight them there. It’s too narrow for the two of them to move freely. Tipping his head towards the other end of the burrow, where it seemed spacious enough to go all out, Benny jogged with Dean on his tail.

Soon, a swarm of spiders started crawling towards them, knocking the cart and table inside the cave. After exchanging a glance, Dean and Benny did what they’re good at - fight.

The carnage lasted for a couple of minutes, limbs flying and blood splattering everywhere, and lifeless spiders filled the area. That was not they had agreed upon. The deal was to only exterminate Nimhe, but Calcelmo didn’t mention that Nimhe wasn’t alone. But judging by the scattered hatched eggs, Benny supposed that the spiders were just new and hungry. Too bad for them, he and Dean were off the menu.

Still catching their breaths, Dean and Benny carried on.

“I would kill a dragon for a hot bath right now.” Dean grimaced. He took a whiff of himself and almost hurled, dead spider’s blood and venom smelled worse than sewage. “Let us get this over with.”

Benny agreed. Using _flames_ , he incinerated the thick layers of spider webs blocking a passage that might lead them deeper. Even though it’s just a simple fire spell and he’s the one casting it, the flames still had the curse inside of him scream in agony. After clearing the path, Benny called Dean, whose busy wiping the blood off his sword on one of the spiders’ carcasses, and continued their quest with their usual positioning – Dean taking point.

It only took them a couple of strides to reach the passage’s exit and a Dwemer ruin come into view, two Dwarven pillars framing its entrance.

“Looks like we need to go further, huh?”

Dean, lowering his guard, sheathed his sword and rolled his shoulders. “We don’t know that.” He crossed his arms and locked eyes with Benny, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Maybe we could…”

“No.” Benny firmly refused. Dean only smiled wider at him, knowing there’s a scowl plastered on Benny’s face hidden in his helmet. “What if we get caught? We’re not --” Benny trailed off when he saw a figure of a man on the ground near the entrance of the Dwemer ruin.

_Mighty Talos._

“What is it?” Aware of how Benny tensed up, Dean asked while he withdrew his sword, the teasing evaporated and replaced by seriousness. He followed where Benny’s gaze was locked and took a sharp breath when he saw the man. “Keep an eye out, I’ll check him out.” With that, Benny nodded and turned his attention towards the entrance.

The moment Benny lost sight of Dean from his peripheral vision, a loud thud boomed in the closed space and dust started to scatter in the air.

“Bitch!” Dean shouted.

Inside of the cloud of dust, a shadow of an abnormally huge spider materialized – _Nimhe_. The bristly hairs covering her long legs gave Benny the creeps. Underneath her was Dean, pinned with her weight and struggling to reach for his sword that had fallen away from him.

“Dean," Benny exclaimed while charging towards the creature.

With a hiss, a venom projectile shot up from the dust and hit Benny squarely on the eyes, the vile venom passed the narrow opening of his helmet.

As someone who’s immune to poison, the venom still stung a bit and only irritated Benny’s eyes, temporarily snatching his vision away. That wouldn’t stop Benny though. Quickly, he took off his helmet – mindlessly throwing it, and prepared to charge again, only to be thrown off to a wall when Nimhe tackled him.

Through fogged vision, Benny didn’t flinch when the spider loomed above him. His focus was on Dean who’s scrambling off the ground. He tried to conjure a dagger but the spider didn’t give him a chance. Nimhe, without hesitation, clicked her fangs once and then punctured Benny’s left shoulder with it, tearing the soft material of his robe and his skin.

Benny swallowed his scream and breathed calmly through the pain. Unlike him, a vampire, the spider had no anesthetic effect with their bite. Meaning, he could feel, millimeter by millimeter, how the huge pair of teeth sank deeper into his shoulder. The venom burned as it slowly dissolved his muscle tissues. There’s nothing to worry about though. One _Grand Healing,_ a couple of cold mead, and a good night sleep would make him feel better later. No need to stitch them close.

Plus, an insect would never be the death of him.

“A little help here, chief.” He said through gritted teeth, his own fangs yearning to get out.

Getting a little impatient of Dean being oh so sluggish, Benny punched Nimhe repeatedly out of frustration to get it off; the darned creature was trying to paralyze him with poison. One perfectly placed punch later, Nimhe pulled her fangs out with an agonizing screech and reared back. Taking advantage of this opening, Benny cast _Greater Ward_ on both hands and pushed the spider away, his left shoulder protesting in pain.

Now that his vision was getting clearer, Benny noticed the tip of Dean’s blade peeking on Nimhe’s abdomen. With a shout, Dean drew his sword out and buried it back again, earning him another shriek from the giant spider.

"Took you long enough," Benny said as he stopped casting the ward on his right hand and replaced it with _Conjure Dagger_. It’s unnecessary though. Behind Nimhe, Dean didn’t bother pulling his Imperial sword out from the spider. Instead, he unsheathed his ebony sword and took a big swing.

The first strike cut three of Nimhe’s leg, taking away her balance and crumpling on her back beside Benny. And without letting her recover, the second – finishing – blow sliced her exposed body in half.

“Damn spider!” Dean spat, kicking the twitching corpse a couple of times before withdrawing his sword from it. Breathless, his chainmail rattled when he fell flat on his ass beside Benny.

“Are you done?” Benny asked with a smirking that quickly turned into a lopsided grin. Smiling at him with equal enthusiasm, Dean nodded. Finally, the sword he had given to Dean was baptized with blood – its first kill. Dean was probably saving it for a dragon, but he was willing to let that go to save Benny from trouble.

_A kill is a kill though._

Beside Benny, Dean wiped off the sweat beading on his forehead and other spider fluids that hit his face with his sleeve. Somewhat clean, he picked up his Imperial sword, turned his attention back to the dead spider and lazily poked it. “I can’t believe we miss something this big.” The poking lasted for a full minute. Content, he set his sword down and lay on the ground with Benny, their foot nudging each other. Turning his head, he asked. “How about you, are you okay? You’re getting a little bit sluggish lately.”

Benny snorted at that. Him, sluggish? Not a chance. Clearing his throat, he simply said. “It’s just not my favorite time of the day, Dean.”

“Uh-huh.” Dean nodded, but clearly, he’s not acknowledging Benny’s response.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing.”

Benny wanted to press the matter but opted to keep his mouth shut.

They lay there unmoving in a companionable silence, just breathing and resting, until Benny heard Dean snore lightly. It seemed like Dean had forgotten why they were there – to see the Dwemer Museum. Still, Benny wouldn’t disturb the napping Dean for that. They had time. And besides, this was their first peaceful moment after deciding to visit Markarth.

_You’re getting a little bit sluggish lately._

Dean’s concerned words echoed in his head. It had been a week since he last fed and animal blood wasn’t cutting the curse’s hunger. He’s fine with regular food, but the Vampirism residing in him craved blood, burning his insides with need, fogging his reasoning and wiping away the humanity in him. A little bothersome – frightening, sure, but he couldn’t do anything about it. What was left for him to do was to trust Dean whenever the _time_ comes.

That’s their deal.

Benny was never a monster and never asked to be turned in exchange for immortality. Dean understood it and trusted Benny from the start. What happened had already happened, and Benny didn’t want to think about it anymore. He’s done running and being scared. With Dean, he’s at home… he’s _safe_ , from others and from himself, even though he wasn’t sure why he deserved it – deserve Dean.

_Because Dean deserves better._

With an unintelligible mumbling, Dean stirred and jerked Benny out from his mind, steering him back to reality.

Speaking of reality, Benny should probably check the other man near the ruin’s entrance. But after with all of the commotion earlier, he figured that the man was already dead. They’d just check him later for identification and some _loot_. No reason to rush things. Dean still needed his well-earned rest and Benny would let him nap for a couple more minutes before waking him up.

 

* * *

 

“We’ve killed Nimhe," Dean confirmed.

The court wizard both gave Dean and Benny a glance-over, inspecting the dried up blood, and unsubtly took a whiff of their stench before expressing himself. “Then you two have my gratitude.” Just like that, the Altmer took their word. No need to retrieve Nimhe’s head to prove their work. “That spider had been interfering with my excavation for months.” Calcelmo paused, fished out a key in his pocket and continued. “As promised, here’s the key to the Dwemer Museum.”

Dean snatched the key from Calcelmo’s hand. Without saying goodbye to the court wizard – too excited to see the collections that he has forgotten his manners, he turned around and trotted towards where the museum was.

“Mind the displays.” Calcelmo hollered. “Some of them are quite fragile.”

Dean had already disappeared around the corner before Calcelmo even finished his sentence. Thankfully, Benny was still there, listening intently at the High Elf with an apologetic smile.

Out on the corner of Benny’s eye, he spotted a neatly stacked books resting on the table – the _Dwarves_ series. Dean only had the second volume, if he was not mistaken.

Calcelmo might have noticed him staring at the books and he said. “Interested with history, I see.” Silently, he watched the wizard put his hand above the books, ready to go after Dean.  “It seems like I misjudged you by your looks.”

Benny didn’t respond at that. He got that a lot from strangers, being judged by his appearance. Big, burly, and bearded. Who would have thought books interest him? Calcelmo got the wrong assumption though. History bored him. He preferred something with adventure or books that could hone his skills. Yes, he loved reading. Especially now that may be out there, somewhere, there's a book that would answer his question: a cure for his Vampirism – his curse.

“I should have guessed since you traveled here from who knows where just to see my museum.”

“Benny,” Dean called out. His head popped on the corner only to disappear again after saying, “Come on, you big bear.”

“Here, take this,” Calcelmo shoved three books in Benny’s hand, all three volumes of the Dwarven series. “Something to fill your curiosity.”

Benny didn’t have the heart to refuse the old scholar’s offer. Besides, it’s free stuff. With an honest smile, he warmly accepted the books, mumbled his thanks, and followed where Dean went.

 _Dean would love these._ Benny thought. While safely tucking the books into his bag, he spotted that was still Dean outside of the Dwemer Museum, talking to one of the guards above the stairs and rocking on the balls of his feet. They didn’t look like they were arguing but it was obvious that Dean was getting impatient.

“You don’t need to wait for me, you know.”

“Yeah, but the guards here are a little uptight, especially this one right here.”

Dean made a fist and threatened the guard with it, who’s just doing his job. Without a word, the guard’s response to that was putting his hand on his sword’s handle, lifting it to show its blade. And it’s enough to put Dean back in his place.

 _Mighty Talos, this guard will die tonight in his sleep._ Benny grimly thought. People who were dumb enough to threaten and pissed Dean off should also be smart enough not to sleep at night if they wanted to see the sunrise again. Luckily for the guard, Dean was in a good mood. No man’s blood would be shed tonight.

Not wanting any more trouble, Benny just gave the guard a tight-lipped smile and dragged Dean away by the arm. With all the trouble they had to earn the key to the museum, being kicked out or chased out of town was the last thing they wanted. Unlike with the other cities they had visited, their heads were still clear of bounty in Markarth. They’re safe here. Dean too probably knew that so he let himself be taken away.

Inside, the first few things that greeted them were various pieces of ancient kitchenware. Those were not the one Dean wanted to see though. Dean wanted to see the Dwarven automatons. Without paying mind to the other artifacts, Dean quickly walked passed by the glass-covered display cases and beelined towards the Dwarven Centurion. He and Dean have had encountered it once and it was not a pretty experience.

Benny’s rib hurt just at the memory of how its war hammer had hit him with immense power. He’s still human back then, a normal Nord – no fangs, so how he survived from such an attack was beyond him. If he remembered it right, they were a four-person party when they fought it. He and Dean as the front liners, Sam – Dean’s little brother, as their mage, and Charlie – the Wood Elf providing them support from a distance with her bow.

_Good times._

As though the automaton would move like the last time, Benny stood attentively beside Dean, his hand ready to reach for his weapon.

“Look at this giant piece of metal.” Dean tipped his head at the deactivated Dwarven Centurion. “These machines are so complex even Calcelmo doesn’t know how they work.”

“Magic, maybe?”

“Yeah, right.” Dean scoffed. “Magic my ass. It’s probably because of their core.”

Benny didn’t answer. He had nothing to say anyway. Instead, he looked at Dean, whose eyes were reflecting the golden tint of Dwarven metal, and focused on his features. After all these years, nothing was more complex than this man, because each passing day, he still surprises Benny with every little thing he does.

“You know,” Benny started as he walked beside Dean. Finished with the centurion, Dean was now walking towards the Dwarven spider. “When I’m still serving the Stormcloaks, I believe that there’s a museum up there at Windhelm.”

“Yeah?” That information seemed to pique Dean’s interest. Without stopping from his tracks, Dean flashed Benny a smile and said with a hint of teasing. “Are you suggesting something?”

“Maybe,” Benny shrugged. Averting his eyes from Dean’s, he ran his finger across the mechanical arachnid to distract himself, it’s the first time he saw one of them that wasn’t smashed to pieces. After realizing that he had been stalling for a whole minute, Benny threw caution to the wind and said while facing Dean. “I know it’s all across Skyrim from here and you hate the cold weather up there, but you want to –”

“—Want to go there?” Dean finished. They were now standing too close with each other, their shoulders bumping. He hummed for a couple of beats, feigning that he’s thinking about it, before he finally said. “Sure, Benny.” Wrapping his arm around Benny’s shoulder, he pulled the bear of a man in a one arm hug and continued. “We’ve been to the corners of _Oblivion_ , so why not.”


	2. Tamriel: Northern Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Windhelm was not too far away, but Dean and Benny also need to stop and rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There will be a non-explicit blood drinking and handjobs.

The snow crunched under their boots as they marched towards the frozen city of _Windhelm_. Ancient and Honored, a jewel in the snow… or so they said about the historical city where _Ysgamor’s Palace of the Kings_ stood. With the constant snowfall earlier, small patches of snow had already covered the earth, illuminating what little light the cloud-obscured moon was reflecting.

They were still two days away from the museum at Windhelm – one and a half if they’re lucky without getting ambushed by bandits or wolves, and the cold was already bone-deep.

Dean hated the cold. Even though he was born and raised as a _Nord_ , his father being a _Breton_ affected his body. He’s Nord in all aspect, thanks to his mother, but his poor resistance to cold came from his father.

Painstakingly inhaling the crispy night breeze, Dean’s breath fogged on his face as he slowly puffed it out. His ears lost the pair of footsteps behind him, again, amplifying his breathing and the chirping of crickets in the snow-dusted prairie. Three times. Benny had stopped three times this night, and Dean guessed that Benny’s reason this time would be the same as the first and the second one – time to make a camp and call it a night.

Sighing, Dean turned around and gave in. “All right,” He felt guilty for dragging Benny during the day and hurting the vampire, so he had no choice but to comply if Benny wanted _him_ to sleep. Even though nighttime was the best time for a vampire to travel, Benny would rather let Dean sleep than be productive of their journey. Besides, Benny was just being stubborn for him, putting him first before everything – like always. “You fetch some firewood while checking the perimeter. I’ll handle setting the camp.”

With a grateful smile, Benny nodded, dropped his bag and quickly disappeared through the night.

Under a lone pine tree where the soil was dry and untouched by snow, Dean unfurled their sleeping mat and the tarp they’d be using for their tent. He’d just finished stacking rocks for their fire when Benny came with a bundle of firewood and… Thanks the divines, Benny had a deer draped on his shoulder.

They’d be feasting tonight until their belly was full of venison.

“Start the fire,” Dean ordered as he fished out his father’s blade. “I’ll prepare the meat.”

On his knees, Dean picked and inspected the deer. The first thing he checked was its neck, searching for a bite mark, but found nothing – Benny didn't feed on this one. Not that Dean mind but, it had been a while since Benny drank blood.

After Markarth, they had been purposely avoiding towns, especially now that Benny hadn’t fed yet. Sure, Benny had the mind and self-control of a _Kynareth_ priest but people were easily scared whenever a starving vampire was at present, sometimes, driving Dean and Benny away with their torches and pitchforks. Classic!

A few minutes later, Dean finished butchering the meat until it’s beyond recognition – like it was never a deer. With his sharp knife, he carved chops, loins and skillfully removed the hide. People living in cold places would pay a lot of gold for that. Behind him, Benny had also finished preparing the ingredients for the stew and now tending the fire, knowing full well that a hot bowl of venison stew would warm Dean’s freezing ass inside and out. Now that Dean thought about it, half of Benny’s stuff in his bag was kitchenware.

 _If we have our own kitchen, Benny doesn’t need to bring them anymore._ Dean thought. Maybe back then, before his and Benny’s relationship bloomed into something more than friendship, a chill colder than the freezing breeze hitting his bare face would run up and down his back after thinking of that. What changed him and pulled his head out of his ass was the war and all the damaged it had caused not only to him but also to Benny. They had experienced nightmares enough to last a lifetime and it’s only fair to seek something _normal_.

“Stop spacing out, chief," Benny said as he put his big hand on Dean’s shoulder, jerking him back to reality. “I called you a couple of time but you’re not answering.” With a smile, Benny pulled his hand and reached for the chunks of venison. He stood up and returned in front of the fire, tossing the meat inside the pot. “Are you thinking or just hungry?”

Dean smiled at that, snorting. “I’m starving.”

“Well, this will take a while, so go cook some meat if you’re that hungry. The salt is in my bag.”

  

* * *

 

 

Sitting cozily in front of the fire, munching on the roast venison and stirring the pot every now and then, Dean watched Benny preserve the extra meat with salt and crushed _Ice Wraith Teeth_ , a technique Benny had learned from someone in _Riften_ where he grew up. “You want me to read something?” Dean offered as he pulled his bag from the tent. Inside, the books Benny had given to him were still untouched, afraid that he might ruin the cover.

“Sure, as long as it’s not your dirty book, _The Lusty Argonian Maid_.”

“I want to, but someone threw it away.”

“Hmm,” Benny hummed while wrapping the last preserved meat with paper. He stood up, clapped his hands clean, and snatched the venison Dean was eating. “I wonder who it could be.”

“Hey,” Dean protested halfheartedly when Benny bit a huge chunk of his food before returning it. “And stop pretending it’s not you, you old bear!”

“It’s not me.” With a mouthful, Benny mumbled as he sat beside Dean. “Besides, that book is terrible.”

“You said you liked it!”

“I never said I liked it. What I meant was I love hearing your voice.”

Dean had nothing to say on that. Instead, he bit the charred part of the venison, tore a huge piece and focused on chewing, denying that he’s smiling. The warmth radiating from the fire was nothing compared to the warmth blooming in his guts and spreading throughout his body like wildfire. How easy it was for Benny to throw random compliments, he didn’t know.

As they sat there basking in a familiar silence, the dying fire – slowly cooking their dinner – crackled and hundreds floating embers filled the air. Beside Dean, Benny stretched his hand and cast a simple fire spell, and no matter how hard Benny tried to hide it, Dean could see how his face twisted in pain for a millisecond. Dean was about to stop Benny from casting _flames_ to prevent further discomfort when a strong gust of wind disturbed the peaceful night, their tent flapping.

***Zu’u Alok Vulon***

A roar thundered from the heavens. There’s no doubt about it. _Dragon._ Dean had heard it before, the draconic language or the power of the _Voice_ , turning shout into immense magic. Darn it, confronting a dragon was the least he wanted to do right now.

Another gust kicked in, and before they know it, an Elder Dragon appeared above them as it soared the cloud-lidded night sky, announcing its presence by breathing fire on the frozen prairie.

No time to think.

Quickly, both men wore their gear and picked up their weapon. The first thing that entered Dean’s mind was to lure it away from their camp. They worked hard preparing their supper so he wouldn’t let the mythical creature ruin it. Besides, if there’s anyone who’d be eating tonight, it would be him and Benny, not the dragon.

“You think it’ll go down?” Benny asked beside Dean as they jogged away from camp while keeping an eye on the dragon. He didn’t bother wearing his helmet this time, just his robes, steel plate boots and gauntlets. The thing was corroded by the Nimhe’s venom and Benny was having a hard time wearing it since, bothered by the smell of remaining fumes.

“It has to,” Dean assured, “that thing can’t fly forever.”

“Maybe we could coax it to land.”

“You got a plan?”

“Yeah,” Putting away his mace, Benny nodded as he began casting _sparks_ , enveloping both of his hands with electricity and purplish lightning. He turned his head to look at Dean and said. “I’ll poke it with this until it lands and while its attention is on me, sneak up to it from behind.”

Easier said than done.

Without complaining, Dean crouched down as he let himself be surrounded by shadow, erasing his presence by holding his breath. From a distance, he watched as Benny unleashed a continuous stream of purple lightning from his hands. The air crackled as the bolts of lightning arched towards the flying dragon. Obviously, the dragon was unaffected by the low-leveled shock spell Benny was shooting but it's enough to get its attention as it stopped from circling the sky.

The Elder Dragon, whose body was covered with bronze colored scales, used its majestic wings to hover above the ground, and with a roar, it dove down towards Benny with extreme speed.

Benny stopped shooting sparks, and with two hands, he cast _greater ward_ and stood his ground.

“You idiot, dodge it!” Dean shouted, emerging from the shadows. He might not be the brains of the family but it’s no brainer that a dragon that big moving that fast would surely pack a punch, enough to knock a mammoth dead.

Dean’s voice and sudden appearance startled the dragon. Quickly, the elder dragon halted its assault by spreading its wings, blowing dust as it changed trajectory. With its mighty wings, the dragon flew higher where Benny’s novice magic couldn’t reach it and blew the clouds away.

Now that there’s no cloud obstructing the sky, the magnificent beauty of the Northern Lights came into view, the blue and green veil of lights dancing above them.

No time to appreciate nature’s beauty though.

“Draw your weapon," Benny instructed, not angry at Dean for sabotaging his plan. In fact, the bear of a man was smiling, aware that Dean was a little annoyed at him for his balls and not planning on dodging the dragon.

“I hate you” Dean mumbled while raising his sword. “If you die tonight, I’ll drag your soul out of _Sovngarde_ just to kill you.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Circling his shoulders, Benny winked at Dean before returning his focus back to the dragon, which was already charging at them. “Here it comes.”

“I can see it, you know.”

***Yol Toor Shul***

Dean and Benny split in opposite direction as the dragon breathed fire. The intense flame hitting the ground caused the snow to melt; scalding steam started vaporizing from the ground.

“Are you okay?” Dean hollered, the steam obstructing his vision. He heard a sharp breath and a grunt, and that’s enough confirmation to him. Hands tight around his sword, he saw the dragon right on time and barely dodge its jaw as it swooped towards him. With the dragon’s speed, Dean almost lost his balance but it also cleared the steam, showing him a window of opportunity to counterattack. "Take this, you big lizard," Dean screamed as he quickly slashed the dragon’s thigh.

 **“Fool.”** The dragon said before flying away. **“You mortals are no match for me.”**

“Less talking and more fighting, dragon!” Dean replied as he tightened his grip on his sword, its ebony blade sure did some damage to the dragon. Out on the corner of his eyes, he spotted Benny gingerly standing up, a golden light from a _Restoration spell_ covering his body for a second before fading into the darkness. “It got you?”

“Just a tad.”

***Yol Toor Shul***

Another _shout_ came out of the dragon’s mouth, turning mere voice into hellish flame. Before the flame even touched the ground, Dean and Benny were already running towards the dragon, leaving heavy footprints in their wake. Quicker than Dean, Benny jumped, grabbed one of the dragon’s feet and pulled it down with his weight and strength. Following Benny’s lead, Dean took a big swing and met the falling dragon with his sword, its weight assisting Dean to cut deeper into its stone-like flesh.

The dragon was now grounded.

“Cover me," Dean said while preparing for another attack. Even though he didn’t see or hear Benny’s response, he knew Benny would always watch his back.

Cautiously circling the dragon, he heard Benny grunted over the opposite side, earning him a deafening screech from the dragon as it flapped its wings. There, he found an opening as the creature’s attention was all on Benny. With his sword on his right hand while his father’s blade on the other, Dean _danced_ as he continuously attacked the dragon’s exposed body with fervor.

“You shouldn’t have come here, dragon.” Benny threatened from above.

_Above?_

With a spin, Dean delivered a fatal strike, powerful enough to decapitate a person, but it seemed his blade only severed an artery, spraying his face and tainting his sword with blood. Cautious, he took a few steps back and watched out from a counterattack. Tucking away his father’s blade, he saw Benny on top of the dragon’s back and taking a big swing with his mace.

The air whooshed as Benny bashed the dragon’s head, its thick skull could be heard cracking.

This agitated the dragon as it began thrashing to get Benny off its back. With all its movements, Dean couldn’t find a better angle to help Benny, so he pushed his luck when he saw one and charged to get its attention, unbeknownst of what the dragon was planning.

What happened next was quick. Dean remembered charging towards it and Benny yelling at him to stop until the next thing he knew was being catapulted into the air. The sound of his chainmail rattling after his back hit the solid ground registered first in his shaken head, and as he gasped for air, the stinging pain in his chest followed briefly.

 _Cheeky bastard._ Dean thought while twisting in pain. The dragon used its tail as a whip to fling him away. Thanks to his armor, cushioning the blow he had taken, the attack didn’t knock him unconscious. But if Benny was the one who had taken it then… _Benny!_

As he scrambled off the ground, his gauntlets digging into the soil, Dean heard Benny screamed in pain while he was trying to find his sword. On his right, his eyes widened at the sight, Benny’s arm up to the junction of his neck and shoulder was trapped between the dragon’s teeth.

Benny struggled but it seemed that his movements only tightened the dragon’s grasp, drawing another scream out of his lungs.

“Let go of him!” Dean managed to say through gritted teeth, his chest still throbbing.

The dragon heard him between Benny’s grunts and curses, so without mercy, it flailed Benny left and right before tossing him into the air like a ragdoll. Wasting no time, he stopped thinking of his fallen sword and dashed towards Benny, trying to catch the big man and lessen the damage of the fall.

“Damn it, Benny. For a vampire, why are you always getting bit?” Dean observed while cradling the man’s lax head, his robe all torn and drenched in his own blood. He made it to Benny just in time, but even though he’s in perfect condition, Benny was still heavy for him to actually catch.

“I’m just irresistible.” Benny winked. Dean simply snorted at that. “Oh, shut up. I know you know it.”

Slowly, Benny lifted his hands and cast an expert leveled restoration spell. Because of their combined recklessness, Dean had seen the spell too many times. Judging by the intensity of the golden ball of light between Benny’s hands, he’s sure it was Benny’s infamous _Grand Healing_. Sam had always mocked Benny for pursuing the Restoration School, saying healing spells weren’t real magic.

Luckily for both Dean and Benny though, the vampire’s magic of choice had made them somewhat invincible, always saving them in a tight spot – like in their current predicament. But of course, their reckless behavior balanced out everything.

After an excruciatingly long wait of two-seconds, a soothing chime rang in Dean’s head followed by a warm light enveloping his body.

 **“Prolonging your death doesn’t change anything, mortals.”** The dragon said. **“Tiid Fah Mu Dov Rel Lein.”**

“Yeah, yeah," Benny grunted from Dean’s lap before gingerly standing up, the light covering them fading out. He squared his shoulders, reached out his hand to help Dean stand up and said. “Come on, supper’s getting cold.”

Without letting the two men think or devise another plan, the dragon breathed fire.

Thanks to the dragon’s fire, providing a better lighting than the moon, Dean easily spotted his ebony sword and quickly went after it. Meanwhile, Benny conjured a battleaxe while running in the opposite direction and swung it with ease, hitting the dragon’s wing and probably taking away its flight.

_No more flying for you._

“Watch out for its jaws, Benny," Dean yelled, trying to get the dragon’s attention, in which he succeeded. All attention on him, he watched Benny swung his battleaxe again, only this time he was aiming for the neck.

With a sharp whoosh, the air split as Benny chopped the dragon’s head. Or so Dean thought. The battleaxe Benny conjured was stuck in the dragon’s nape; its tempered scales prevented the axe’s blade to fully penetrate the flesh.

Unable to pull his battleaxe free, Benny let go of it – the bound weapon turning into gas and disappearing into thin air – and distance himself by jumping back but the dragon anticipated this. With its mouth, it caught Benny again. Too bad for it though, right after taking away its attention from Dean, Dean’s blade was already in mid-air, and in a flash, slicing its jaw open before it sink its teeth into Benny.

"I got your back, man," Dean said as he and Benny watched the dragon roar.

Agitated, the dragon used its head and neck to swat the two men away. **“Yol Toor Shul”** The dragon shouted. But no fire came out. Dean and Benny, though, still dodged the feign attack and was caught off guard by the dragon’s tail, hitting them both and knocking them off their feet.

“Son of a--” Dean started as he rolled on the ground but was cut off by the flames materializing in front of them.

***Yol Toor Shul***

Without letting them recover, the dragon breathed fire at point-blank range.

Dean braced himself for the inevitable. No point of dodging now. Besides, the dragon couldn’t exhale fire that long, just a few excruciating seconds of being engulfed by flames was all he needed to endure. _Piece of cake_.

As the flame enveloped him, melting and evaporating the thin layer of snow on the prairie, his nose caught the smell of singeing hair through the thinning air, the flames rapidly feeding on the oxygen around him and cutting off his air supply. _Not good._ He thought, breathless. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, his eyes widened for not processing what had been missing.

He was not burning.

Turning his head to face the dragon, an outline of a man slowly formed from the bright flames – Benny, protecting him from the flames with his warding spell.

"Damn it, Benny," Dean yelled as he reached for his sword, the crackling fire and scorching earth was getting unbearable.

If the fire was causing him that much discomfort, then the Vampirism residing in Benny would probably be screaming in pain. In addition to that, Benny was closer to the source. Even if he was successful negating the attack with his magic, the excess flames surrounding them would be the death of him.

Benny, steadily casting Greater Ward, looked over his shoulder and said. “Go shut this thing’s mouth, will you. I’ll try to hold it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Just go,” Benny said with no hint of annoyance, just exhaustion, “trust me.”

_Trust me._

Dean scoffed at that while preparing to run into the flames. He always trusted Benny with his life, and if Benny still didn’t know that, then Dean had to do something to make Benny understand. With a quick glance towards Benny’s direction, and maybe a short prayer to _Talos_ , Dean held his breath before diving into the wall of flames.

The flames didn’t hurt, but even if it did, Dean had no time to process it. As he escaped the suffocating flames, cold night breeze hitting his face, Dean quickly took a few gulps of air before his feet started moving again. In a flash, Dean stood beside the elder dragon’s head, its eyes looking directly into his soul. And before it even had a chance to react with his presence, Dean kicked its mouth shut as it choked with its own fire.

Dean didn’t let the staggering dragon recover. He hacked and slashed without hesitation, enduring how his arms and wrists protested each time his sword tremble whenever it hit a hardened skin. Behind him, Benny whistled to get his attention, Bound Battleaxe ready in his hands. So with precision, Dean plunged his sword into the dragon’s eye and let Benny finish the job with his skull-splitting blow, air swishing as he swung his battleaxe with great momentum.

With a thud, the dragon dropped on the ground.

Dean followed suit, falling on his back, as exhaustion finally took its toll. The ground under him was still warm after the dragon’s fiery assault, which was something unworthy to be celebrated, but Dean found it as his small reward before trekking the snowy terrain tomorrow. Struggling to come down from his adrenaline high, his body started throbbing due to overexertion, sending a pleasant ache throughout his body.

“We did it, chief.” Benny breathed out, also worn out. “Darn thing almost got us.”

Eyes closed, Dean simply hummed his response, unable to talk at the moment. Beside him, he heard Benny removing his gauntlets, clunking as he tossed them on the ground, before falling flat on his ass. Carefully, he felt Benny’s calloused hands pulling him onto his lap and started cradling him in his strong arms.

"Do it," Dean said out of the blue. He could feel Benny breathing heavily. Not because of exhaustion but something _different_. Benny was drinking his scent, and it was obvious Benny needed – wanted – it. Honestly, Dean was offering because he wanted it too. He would be helping Benny relieve the curse’s hunger and he would get _something_ from Benny to help him cool down. “I know _it’s_ hungry.”

"I could still last another day. I'll feed then."

“You’re shaking.” Eyes now open and looking right at Benny, Dean saw how worse Benny’s current condition was. His eyes were dark and bloodshot, robbing away Benny’s breathtakingly blue eyes. But other than that, he also saw the heat looming in Benny’s eyes that sent a good kind of shiver all over Dean. Benny was hungry for him. “Come on, better now than later, right? Besides, we can’t guarantee--”

Benny cut Dean off by kissing him hard. “How do you want to do this,” He rasped, voice shaking, desperate and _needy_. Normally, Dean had to talk Benny into it – feeding on him, sometimes resorting to begging if Benny was being too stubborn, but now, Benny didn’t need more convincing. The hunger was too much for him to bear after taking a lot of damage earlier, “on your neck, arm, or thigh?”

“Neck.” Licking his lower lip, trying to chase Benny’s taste, Dean gasped. Quickly, with a help from the vampire, he stripped off his chainmail. Still fully clothed, he turned his back and repositioned himself between Benny’s legs. Just as he was about to bare his neck to Benny, the man behind him kept him still and kissed his clothed shoulder. “What?”

“There’s no need to rush, Dean," Benny whispered as he worked on Dean’s tensed shoulders, his big hands slowly kneading its way towards Dean’s sore arms. “I don’t want you to think that I’m just feeding on you.”

“I’m not--” Dean shivered as Benny’s hot tongue drew a wet stripe on the crook of his neck. He felt Benny’s beard grazing on his skin before the pair soft lips started worshiping his neck, peppering him with open-mouthed kissed. “I would never think of that.”

“I know, I know.” Teasing Dean with his blunt human teeth, Benny said. “I just want to be clear, to say what’s on my mind.” His hands traveled from Dean’s arms towards his front, kneading Dean’s firm chest with his left while his right was moving underneath Dean’s undershirt to feel up his tight stomach. “You’re getting thin,” Benny commented at Dean’s lightly furred abdomen, no sign of the soft belly he always kept hidden under his armor, “good thing I caught a deer, huh.”

“Shut up and stop stalling, Ben—ah,” Dean gasped when Benny pinched his nipple.

Benny chuckled, sending sweet vibrations to Dean’s back, and he started untying the drawstring of Dean’s pants.

Dean didn’t know what happened first, Benny’s fangs puncturing his skin or Benny’s calloused hand closing around his length. How quickly Benny retracted his fangs and wrapped his lips on the wound as hot blood started to gush out differed greatly with how his hand moved slowly around Dean’s length.

His eyes blown wide at the sensations all happening at once, Dean became hyper-aware of his surroundings – of Benny. How Benny pulled him closer into his arms, using him as an anchor from the curse that could easily wash his sanity away. How Benny’s heartbeat felt on his back, in sync with his own. How Benny swallowed every drop of his blood, thankful for the unimaginable trust that he had given to the vampire long ago. And how Benny’s tear fell as the pain he had been keeping away from him has finally subsided.

Dean wanted it to last, to share this intimate moment with Benny a little longer. But with Benny’s firm, languid strokes, he knew he couldn’t last long. Light-headed, his blurry vision caught sight of the disintegrating dragon, bright, orange flames carrying its flesh high into the sky and scattering its ashes with the wind.

Up in the sky, the northern lights danced its beautifully colored veil – blue and green, just like his and Benny’s eyes – as slowly disappeared in the night sky, waving them goodbye with its light. It’s a rare phenomenon and Dean was glad he had the chance to appreciate it for a short time. All warn and buzzing with contentment, he heard Benny calling his name as his eyes started fluttering shut.

"Don't sleep yet," Benny whispered against Dean’s skin, just above where he had sank his fangs, as he tucked Dean inside his pants. Pressing his lips on the back of Dean’s neck, he continued. “We haven’t had our supper yet.”

With that Dean lazily turned his head to look at Benny, bright blue eyes looking at him – no visible trace of Vampirism, and he captured his lips with his. There’s a hint of blood there, but Dean didn’t pay it any mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rough translations of the following.
> 
>  **Zu'u Alok Vulon** = I, arise, night  
>  **Tiid Fah Mu Dov Rel Lein** = Time, For, We, Dragon, To rule, The world


End file.
